Granted Patent B2

US 7,012,046 · App. 09/877,341 · Granted Mar 14, 2006

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry comprising:

forming a polyalphaolefin;

cryogrinding the polyalphaolefin to form a cryoground polyalphaolefin; and

mixing the cryoground polyalphaolefin with at least one alfol alcohol.

2. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1-decanol.

3. A process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry comprising:

contacting alpha olefin monomer with a catalyst in a reactant mixture;

polymerizing the alpha olefin monomers, wherein during the polymerization, at least a portion of the alpha olefin monomers polymerize in the reactant mixture to provide a polyalphaolefin;

cryogrinding the polyalphaolefin to form a cryoground polyalphaolefin; and

mixing the cryoground polyalphaolefin with at least one alfol alcohol.

4. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst is a transition metal catalyst.

5. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the transition metal catalyst is a Ziegler-Natta catalyst.

6. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the Ziegler-Natta catalyst is titanium trichioride.

7. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the reactant mixture includes at least one co-catalyst.

8. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 7 , wherein the at least one co-catalyst is selected from the group consisting of alkylaluminoxanes, halohydrocarbons, diethylaluminum chloride, and dibutylaluminum chloride.

9. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the alpha olefin monomer includes at least one of 1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-decene, 1 -dodecene, or mixtures thereof.

10. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the alpha olefin monomer includes a combination of 1-hexene and 1-dodecene alpha olefin monomers or a combination of 1 -octene and 1 -tetradodecene alpha olefin monomers.

11. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the polyalphaolefin is an ultra-high molecular weight polyalphaolefin having an inherent viscosity of at least about 10 deciliters per gram and is amorphous with substantially no crystalline particles.

12. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 3 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1-decanol.

13. A nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry comprising a cryoground polyalphaolefin and at least one alfol alcohol.

14. The nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 13 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1 -pentanol, 1 -hexanol, 1-heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1-decanol.

15. A nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry comprising a cryoground polyalphaolefin and at least one alfol alcohol formed by mixing the cryoground polyalphaolefin with at least one alfol alcohol.

16. The nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 15 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1-decanol.

17. A nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry comprising a cryoground polyalphaolefin and at least one alfol alcohol formed by contacting alpha olefin monomers with a catalyst in a reactant mixture;

polymerizing the alpha olefin monomers, wherein during the polymerization, at least a portion of the alpha olefin monomers polymerize in the reactant mixture to provide a polyalphaolefin;

cryogrinding the polyalphaolefin to form the cryoground polyalphaolefin; and

mixing the cryoground polyalphaolefin with at least one alfol alcohol.

18. The process for forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry of claim 17 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1-decanol.

19. A process for reducing drag in a conduit, comprising:

forming a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry comprising a cryoground polyalphaolefin and at least one alfol alcohol; and

introducing the nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry into the conduit.

20. The process reducing drag in a conduit of claim 19 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1 -pentanol, 1 -hexanol, 1 -heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1 -decanol.

21. A process for reducing drag in a conduit, comprising:

forming a drag reducing agent comprising a polyalphaolefin, wherein the drag reducing agent is formed by contacting alpha olefin monomers with a catalyst in a reactant mixture;

polymerizing the alpha olefin monomers, wherein during the polymerization, at least a portion of the alpha olefin monomers polymerize in the reactant mixture to provide a polyalphaolefin;

cryogrinding the polyalphaolefin to form a cryoground polyalphaolefin; mixing the cryoground polyalphaolefin with at least one alfol alcohol to form a nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry; and

introducing the nonaqueous drag reducing agent slurry into the conduit.

22. The process for reducing drag in a conduit of claim 21 , wherein the at least one alfol alcohol is selected from the group consisting of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol and 1-decanol.

Assignments (15)